Water-filled windows create a hot house

by Lisa Cardy

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WE'RE all interested in saving money and Frederick McKee has come up with an idea he claims will slash fuel bills. McKee, an Essex-based engineer has invented a way to keep�buildings warm in winter and cool in summer by simply using windows filled with water.

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The system is based on double-glazed windows, but instead of having air in the cavity between the two panes,�this model pumps water containing a chemical between the two panes of glass.

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In the summer the chemical in the water absorbs infrared energy, and with it heat from the sunlight, without actually blocking the light out. The water is then either circulated through a heat exchanger, which stores the heat for later or redirects it�to other parts of�the building. In winter heat generated inside the building is absorbed and radiated back by the solution.

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McKee claims his invention means that in the future buildings will not need any other heating or cooling systems. Other energy experts, however, fear that the public will take some persuading. Tim MacFarlane, a structural designer from London, says that people will be slow to adopt the invention because they will be nervous about leaks and the system breaking down.

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